Indie songs are awesome, but sometimes they leave you wanting more. Some may be a bit lengthier, sure, but a lot of them don’t have any movement and they’re super boring. Here are ten stupendous songs, each over ten minutes long, that’ll definitely satisfy your indie craving and don’t sound like a jam band.
1. “Epizootics” – Scott Walker
He was a prominent pop star in the sixties, but now, Scott Walker composes dark, preternatural opuses — like the bombastic and haunting “Epizootics”. Yes, it’s weird and discomforting, but more than that it’s wonderfully eclectic. There are trumpets, synth-basses, finger-snapping breakdowns, and tons of other auditory goodies.
2. “The Seer” – Swans
The guitars on “The Seer” are so violent that they could disintegrate Yankee Stadium (ok, maybe not, but this half-hour long epic is still pretty deadly). It’s another reason I can’t wait for Swans’ upcoming record To Be Kind.
3. “Nights Fall On Hoboken” – Yo La Tengo
This track is the closer to Yo La Tengo’s totally chill album And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. A perfect 17 minutes of tranquil, acoustic vibes.
4. “Untitled 8 (Popplagio)” – Sigur Ros
It starts off with some enchanting post-rock guitar riffs, then builds up with floor toms and eerie guitars and finally launches into a heavy post-hardcore blast. Aside from the instrumental elements, front man Jonsi sings in his own made-up language called Vonlenska. That’s friggin’ awesome!
5. “Bros” – Panda Bear
A hazy, hypnotic dreamscape of echoing vocals, Cat Stevens samples, and owls. “Bros” is totally the bomb.
6. “The Battle Of…” – Titus Andronicus
Civil War themed hard-rock from the guys who come closest to sounding like fellow New Jerseyan Bruce Springsteen.
7. “Become What You Are” – Merchandise
Florida shoegaze trio Merchandise’s “Become What You Are” starts off slow, but gradually gets faster and faster. It’s 11-minutes of post-punk dreaminess.
8. “Cop Shoot Cop…” – Spiritualized
The first few minutes of “Cop Shoot Cop…” are bluesy and slick, but waves of merciless feedback and noise gradually overpower the track. It’s reminiscent of J. Spaceman’s noise-rock band Spacemen 3.
9. “The Diamond Sea” – Sonic Youth
The radio edit of this song is 5 minutes long and packed with Sonic Youth’s signature grungy guitars and lazy vocals. However, the album version of “The Diamond Sea” is almost 15 minutes longer and flooded with colossal feedback.
10. “The Glow” – The Microphones
Over the course of 11 minutes, “The Glow” escalates from a folky chord progression to an explosion of lo-fi drums and crunchy guitars. The Microphones’ follow-up album, The Glow Pt. 2, is the song’s sequel.
